Henry, one of the most well known kings of England, is best remembered for breaking with the Church of Rome, Roman Catholicism. There were many reasons behind the reformation in England, but perhaps the most prominent of these had to do with Katharina, the Spanish princess turned English Queen. Though Katharina of Aragon lived a hard life, from the death of her children, to a public divorce, she cared for the people that she reigned over, and stayed in their hearts long after she was exiled. Katharina was born on December 16, 1485, in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Katharina is the spanish equivalent to Catharine, and her mother, Isabel, would be considered Isabella(Mattingly, vii). She was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel. The union of Isabel and Ferdinand was not for love, but for political reasons. Isabel was the Queen of Castile, and Ferdinand was King of Aragon, the two major kingdoms of modern Spain. Their union created the first united Spain. They were referred to as the Catholic monarchs, having taken many steps to ensure a catholic empire. They started the Spanish Inquisition, forcing all Jewish and Muslim citizens to convert to Catholicism or leave. They battled with Granada, a Muslim kingdom, and funded Christopher Columbus’ voyage to America (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2011). Katharina had a strange childhood, and she was given a very well rounded education by her mother, the queen. She also watched as one by one, her siblings left to marry foreign nobilities. Her own fate was sealed very quickly, at age two she was betrothed to marry Prince Arthur of England, to ease political tension. When she was sixteen, she left her home in Spain for a three month journey across Spain to the ... ... middle of paper ... ...ine of Aragon." English History. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov 2011. "Mary I." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. . Mattingly, Garrett. Catherine of Aragon. 1st. New York: Vintage Books, 1941. &. Print. 'Spain: 1501', Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 1: 1485-1509 (1862), pp. 253-265. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=93406 Date accessed: 02 December 2011. Tuckwood, Jan. "The British Monarchy: A Royal Epic, Seared by Tragedy." Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, FL). Sept. 2 1997: 1D+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 09 Nov 2011. Warnicke, Retha. "Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII." History Review 53 (2005): 51+. World History Collection. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
Before the reformation Henry, the VIII had a lot of contributing factors to the start of the reformation. King Henry VIII wanted his marriage with his wife, Catherine of Aragon annulled because he wanted a male heir because at this time women wouldn't rule alone though his wife kept producing females and was about to become too old to have kids and king Henry VIII thought it was her fault not his so he wanted to marry and new younger person Anna Boleyn because he thought she would be
Green, Jennifer L. "The Development of Maritime Law in Medieval Spain: The Case of Castile and the Siete Partidas." The Historian 58.3 (1996): 575. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Nov. 2015. .
Later on “Mary I married Phillip II of Spain and he became the King of Spain, and Mary I became
Isabel of Spain was a strong and determined woman. She was born on April 22, 1451 in the town of Madrigal de las Altas Torres in Old Castile. She was the daughter of John II, king of Castile and his second wife, Isabella of Portugal. Her family were very strong Catholics and was born and raised a Catholic. She was married to Ferdinand who was King of Aragon. She took control and protected her country while taking on the responsibility of being a wife and a mother of five. Isabel and Ferdinand together ruled both of the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile. The most important ideas of Isabel of Spain was the starting of the Spanish Inquisition, ruling as a female, gaining power, and expanding an empire that would be known throughout.
To begin, Isabella was the daughter of King John II of Castile. Isabella was born April 22, 1451. Ferdinand was the son of King John I of Aragon. He was born in 1452. Isabella was three years old when her father died. Henry IV, her half-brother, became king. “He named Isabella his successor.” Henry was not very fond of Ferdinand. When Isabella married Ferdinand in 1469, Henry IV withdrew his support. In 1474, Henry died; making his daughter Juana, take the throne. After the war of a succession ended in 1479, Isabella became the Queen of Castile (“Queen Isabella”). She was the Queen of Castile from 1474 to 1505. “Isabella had to fight a civil war to secure her throne. Their marriage began a 35 year joint ruling of a unified Spain, by the Catholic Monarchs” (Isaacs).
When one thinks of becoming a princess or even royalty, the idea of the magical childhood, fantasy wedding and perfect marriage, seems to accompany the indication of a royal, but yet this was not the case for Diana. Ever since she was eight, her parents had been divorced and little Diana just “longed for the love of a united home” (Wright). Her school grades were not up to par, “an academically below-average student” (Princess Diana Biography Biography) and her family life was in shackles, so later becoming a princess and huge icon was such a powerful message for those with rough starts; this was not the first stereotype she would break. From straightforwardly addressing tough, international medical issues to her torn personal life, the people sympathized with her, because she was such real, true and honest princess. When Diana entered into the public view by her marriage to Charles, her life appeared to be perfect especially when followed by two, healthy sons, William and Harry, but...
Queen Elizabeth I was said to be one of the best rulers of England. Unlike rulers before her, she was a Protestant and not a Catholic. She was not stupid though. She did go to church and did everything that Catholics did to prevent getting her head cut off under the rules of her sister Mary. Elizabeth was very young when she came to rule. She was only 17 years old when her sister Mary died and she took over.
Spain, dating back to 756, used to be a Muslim state and covered the entire land except for the northern most part of it. It was not until 778 when the Spanish March was created in order to merge the Muslim and Christian cultures together. However, with the lack of unity over the years, a bloody rivalry continued as the two sides fought constantly until a victory was won. The Christians received the victory because of its religious enthusiasm and dynamic expansion, which caused their side to continue to live in harmony and peace.
Queen Isabella ruled Spain in the Medieval Era. After the death of her brother, Henry IV, Isabella was named Queen of Castile. When she came to power in the 1460s, a civil war had begun. Isabella married one of the most well-known royals, Ferdinand, who was the Prince of Aragon. Her marriage put Spain on its way to a national unity by uniting the regions of Castile and Aragon. By sponsoring a voyage to the new world, Isabella helped Spain out of extensive debt. After Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the new world, Spain’s economy and agriculture prospered greatly. Isabella had also launched the Spanish Inquisition, or Reconquista, which created laws against Muslims and Jews. Despite the fact that she was an absolute monarch, many people looked up to her and Ferdinand for reducing Spain’s debt following the civil war (Isabella I). Throughout her reign, Queen Isabella of Castile contributed to Spain’s unification and dominance in Europe. Her contributions to Christopher Columbus’ voyage, her support for the spread of Christianity, and her political alliances led to Spain being unified.
Many people have heard of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. However, only some know of all the things they accomplished. They might be best known for funding the voyages of Christopher Columbus, but they also greatly contributed to the unity of Spain (“Isabella l”). Together, they brought many kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula together to form what Spain is today. Through Spain’s unification, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella strengthened Spain into an economic and dominant world power, enabling the spread of Christianity and the colonization of a New World.
Though there was no driving force like Luther, Zwingli or Calvin during the English Reformation, it succeeded because certain people strived for political power and not exactly for religious freedom. People like Queen Elizabeth I and Henry VIII brought the Reformation in England much success, however their reasons were based on self-gain and desire for political power.
After the death of Henry in 1547, a 10 year old Edward came to the throne. The English Church became increasingly Protestant in worship and doctrine under the Protestant Lord Somerset. Mary succeeded the throne after Edward’s death in 1553. Mary was a devout Catholic and saw it her mission to restore Catholicism back to England. She used mainly persecution to do this, by burning Protestants for not renouncing their beliefs, these actions turned many English people against Catholicism.
Rice, Eugene E. and Anthony Grafton. The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559. 2nd. ed. New York: W. W. Norton and Co., 1994.